I just got a question from one of my readers and I thought it would make a fabulous blog post.
Reader asked: Hey Dani, I'm starting a new blog and everyone keeps telling me to use WordPress. What exactly is WordPress and why should I use it?

WordPress
WordPress is a free and open source blogging tool and a content management system (CMS) based on PHP and MySQL. Features include a plugin architecture and a template system. WordPress was used by more than 22.0% of the top 10 million websites as of August 2013.

Now here is my non-techy definition:

WordPress is a tool you can use to get a website (or blog) online. It is also considered what people call a CMS, or Content Management System. What is a CMS? It helps you manage the content, aka your writing, photos, video's, images, or whatever you are giving birth to in the world.

WordPress comes in two flavors....WordPress.org and WordPress.com and don't get them confused. WordPress.org is where it's at. Don't believe me? Read this. And this. And this too.

The numba's, or more specifically how easy it is to see what's happening in terms of readers, clicks and purchases.

You see you don't want to just get a blog or website online. You want to be able to track your progress and implement any other tools you can use to make sure your hard work is paying off.

Getting started with WordPress

Well, you can do like me and just try to piece it all together. Or maybe take a course or two. I'm in the middle of developing a super easy quickie starter course at the moment. If you want to find out more just sign up for my list. I'll be announcing the details soon.

I built my first blog using the now defunct Homestead. It was a hilarious blog that included some music by Tool. Thankfully WordPress makes it super duper easy to get started.

If you want to get started right away I recommended watching a few YouTube vids and then maybe having a chat witha hosting company and buying some space to host your website or blog. I recommend Bluehost for those who are just starting out. More on that later.